Humidifier.



J. WHlTlNG.

HUMIDIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1914.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

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WW W prep s rains PATENT oriaicn.

JASPER WHITING. OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HUMIDIFIER.

Application filed May 14. 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I. JASPER \Viii'riXo. a citizen of the United States. and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofllassachusetts. have invented new and useful Improvements in I-Iumidifiers, of which the following is aspeeification.

My invention relates to huniidifiers and consists in apparatus adapted to association with steam heating sy'stems, by means of which a substantially uniform degree of humiditvmay be maintained in the air of an apartment. This apparatus automatically controls the quantity of water employed for humidifying purposes. and automatically comes into or goes out of action with the heating apparatus. The humidifier attached to a steam heater automatically prevents the escape of steam from the heater into the air, permitting only water to escape for humidifying purposes, thus avoiding the escape of the oily odors which usually accompany steam.

1n the drawings hereto annexed which illustrate my invention.l*igure 1 is a view in, elevation of my humidifier associated with a steam heater; Fig. 2 is a cross section (on large scale) of a detail showing'thc mode of distributing water on the evapo rator.

Referring to Fig. 1 A nipple T is tapped into the steam space'of the radiator R, and opens communication with the conduit C through the device F, which may be a float valve, thermostatic valve, or other means to prevent water from entering the conduit C, while permitting steam to pass. Generically speaking, the device F may be termed a discriminator; specifically, it discriminates in this instance, in favor of steam and against water, passing the former and barring the latter.

The conduit C is preferably made of thin metal so that it acts effectively as a con denser, and converts the steam admitted to it by the discriminator F, into Water. If desired, communication to the conduit C may be controlled by a handbperated valve f. At the discharge end of the conduit 0 there is placed another discriminator V, which is adapted to perform its function in reverse of that performed by the discriminator F, that is to say, it passes water, but

bars steam. For this reason the device V when associated \VlthSHCll a discriminator as F, acts as a reverse-discriminator. From Specification of Letters Patent.

lowing coutrivance.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 838.602.

Y the pipe I proceeds to the device marked A, which may he termed the evaporator. since it consists of some substance which will hold and extend over a large exposed surface the water emerging from the pipe I, so that evaporation proceeds copiously. A simple and ell'ective evaporator is a sheet of coarse toweling: any porous or bibulous material may be made to serve. or any device. which extends water over a large'surface for evaporation.

In order effectively to distribute water over the evaporator A. l provide the fol- The evaporator cloth is turned and hemmed at ll. and a suspension rod passed through the turned edge and hung by wins I). Along the midportion of the turned edge the material is slitted. and a strip of closely woven or waterproof cloth 1. passed through the slit and stitched over the rod 1), so as to form a tube. Stitches S holdup the middle part of the evaporator A, where otherwise it would sag. because of the slit through which the cloth H is passed. \Vater emerging from the pipe 1 moves laterally in both directions through the towel-material in the cloth tube U and spreads from the ends thereof over the surface of the evaporator A.

The above described humidifying apparatus automatically limits the amount of water which can escape into the evaporator in a given time, to that quantity which the condenser pipe C can produce by condensation of steam admitted to it. Whenever the con denser C is drained of Water through the reverse discriminator V, it fills with steam, which, on e ideavoring to pass through the reversc-discriminator V, is barred by the automatic action of V, which as above stated, is an automatic trap which allows water to pass, but prevents steam from passing. Then, until condensation in C produces water which is allowed to pass the reverse-discriminator V, no more steam can enter the condenser through the discriminator F. The size, and therefore the condensingcapacity of the condenser C may, and should, be such that under all but abnormal conditions the condenser will produce no more water than the evaporator will dispense in vapor form.

The discriminator F is perhaps a precautionary, rather than a necessary, adjunct to the humidifying apparatus. Should the connection T be made With any portion of practically necessary to prevent an excess of.

water from passing to the evaporator, unless a check at the delivery end, such as the tank and float-controlled valve be provided.

Many instances will be found wherein a discriminator such as F may well be omitted, having a direct and open connection from the steam space of the system to the condenser C, which will provide under all ranges of normal condition a sufficientsupply of Water for the evaporator. The discriminator V (preferably a thermally sensi tive closure which shutsthe outlet when subjected to the direct heat of steam, but relaxes when water is present) will prevent steam from issuing into the apartment. Thus, the humidifying apparatus as a whole is characterized by, first: drawing its supply of water from a system in which steam isthe heating agent, and second; by limiting the amount of water abstracted, to'a' predetermined maximum rate.

The discriminating closures in the connection between the heating system and the evaporator are not herein specifically described, since steam-traps, float valves, or thermostatic valves of many species will be found adapted to perform the above stated functions.

I claim:

1. In humidifying apparatus appropriate to attachment to a steam heating system, the

combination of an evaporator, connection between the evaporator and the steam space of the heating system, a condenser comprised in said connection, and a discriminating device in said connection between the condenser and the evaporator. automatically sensitive to permit escape oi water but to prevent escape of steam, from the condenser to the evaporator.

2. In humidifying apparatus appropriate to attachment to a steam heating system. the combination of an evaporator, connection between the evaporator and the interior of the heating system, a condenser comprised in said connection, and a discriminating device in said connection between the heating 50 system and the condenser, automatically sen sitive to permit passage of steam but to prevent passage of water, from the heating system to the condenser.

' 3. In humidifying apparatus appropriate to attachment to a steam heating system, the combination of an evaporator, connection between the evaporator and the interior of the heating system, a condenser comprised in said connection, a discriminating device insaid connection between the heating system and the condenser, automatically sensitive to permit passage of steam, but to prevent passage of water, to the condenser, and a reverse discriminating device, in said connection between the condenser and the evaporator, automatieally sensitive, to permit passage of water, but to prevent passage of steam, from the condenser to the evaporator.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts,

this eleventh day of May, 1914.

J'AsrER WHITINGI Witnesses ODIN ROBERTS, FLORENCE A. COLLINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. O. 

